Are my values valued enough

Last Friday, I received something in the post which was quite extraordinary.

Unlike the usual bills I receive on a monthly basis (you know, the ones which will cause me to promise myself not to buy the next thing I see on sale. Yet that resolution completely disappears the moment I actually see the 'Sale' banner of a favourite brand) or the junk mail which I unfortunately receive on a weekly basis, this was addressed to me at my office's address.

At first glance, I wanted to chuck it away. But something in me thought twice about it and I ended up opening the letter. It turned out to be a survey from one of those private universities with international standing on what I value in life. I've always been rather apprehensive about answering surveys and I wanted to throw the forms away but upon careful reading of the questions posed (and the fact that I'm promised a book voucher from a reputable international bookstore), it piqued my interest enough to answer the survey.

Because the questions also raised many things which I did not think of before, I thought it is a good idea for me to write a little (hmm, I hardly write little. Long winded is more likely) about it in my blog.

Essentially, the survey organiser had compiled a series of values which we are then to rate their respective importance in our lives. They promised that the time taken should not be more than 20 minutes and that it could be done in a jiffy. I think that's a blatant misrepresentation. Why? Because these are the very values we often take for granted and yet, thinking about them (obviously I got to think about them before I rate them) makes me wonder whether I actually have those values in place! And this situation could very well affect you as it did me.

As I know my tendency to write longer than I should, I'll just write on a couple of values and leave the rest for future entries. Note that what's stated below is merely my opinion. Feel free to comment if you agree, disagree or just taking the chance to reflect on those values.

Equality

I'm all for equality but frankly, there are just too many differences among mankind. While we say we are all children of God, we also fail to see beyond our differences. In an ideal state, our differences is the best example to reflect how God's powers are beyond the imagination and creation of man. Yet, those very differences are exploited by opportunists to further their cause in widening the rift between genders, religions, races, creed and nationalities.

Equality doesn't exist when one is denied a promotion for merely belonging to the wrong or weaker gender. Similarly, equality is not about killing people from a particular race or having the right to kill when you belong to the so-called superior race. Equality is never about invading another country's sovereignty and reducing the invaded country's nationals as collateral damage. Equality is further demeaned when you interfere with another person's religion or belief simply because your religion says otherwise.

Equality is about accepting the differences that exist and not to discriminate on the same differences.

Inner Harmony

I have to admit that this value is personally difficult. Am perpetually torn between what I feel I can achieve and what I feel others want me to achieve. It's a balancing act with myself as the tightrope. Everyone has their personal demons and while some choose to confront it, others live in denial. As for me, I am still unsure of what my demons are and how to confront them. What I know is merely that inner harmony is my precious link to sanity and survivability. Even if I can own the world, I will not find myself as long as I'm not at peace with myself. Hmm...is this the time to go for a retreat and start chanting in some dimly-lit room with smells of aromatherapy wafting by?



Social Power

Oooo...this has to be one of the best values (especially if one aspires to be a politician or in recent times, a politician's wife) to be discussed.

They say some are born into greatness, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrusted upon them. One thing they have in common is the individual's ability to exert dominance or control over others. Now, the dominance or control is both a good and bad mechanism. It's good if you use your position for the betterment of mankind but how often do we see that happening? More often than not, these people are clouded in their judgments and abuse the social power for their own causes.

Without us realising it, social power is not a flash-in-the pan kind of event. It is a systematic plan that cultivates its roots back from our school days. When we were kids, it's called peer pressure. You have the social power (so to speak) if what you use becomes what other students should get. If you are at the other end of spectrum and fail to follow what others have seen fit to be followed, then you're a reject. A reject is very unlikely to wield social power unless of course, you gang up with fellow rejects or those who belong to neither camps.

Peer pressure remains with you until adulthood beckons. By that time, it's already a promotion to social power. What you work as or how much pay you take home influences your social standing in the eyes of society. With that recognition, comes the power to dominate your surroundings. Suffice to say, it's hard to control or dominate when you're at the lower end of salary.

Finally, when you really become someone at the top, social power is cleverly disguised as 'social order'. You preach to society on the evils that may occur if you're disposed off. With the backing of blind faith from your followers (whom you've collected along the years), you are led to seriously believe that you're indispensable.

Freedom

Like equality, this is another oft-quoted feel-good value which we have deluded ourselves into believing. We may not have been born in the times when slaves existed but it doesn't mean we're free. We are in reality, burdened by many things which may never be described or mentioned in the same breath as 'freedom'.

There are no shackles to stop us from running away but in its place, we have financial burdens to imprison us. Suffice to say, most of us have gotten used to the idea of credit cards that we 'chain' ourselves to a life of paying debts. And when we can't pay for our debts in our lifetime, the 'chain' is passed to our descendants.

And please, don't persuade me that 'freedom of action' and 'freedom of thoughts' are the pillars of democracy. We may have the freedom to think (otherwise, what's the purpose of that brain in the first place?) but when thoughts translate into action, it may not be appreciated. Worst, leaders are prone to use the long arms of the law to punish us for those actions which we thought are our rights to begin with.

One of my lecturer once said that Freedom is liberty and that itself provides the basis for a dilemma of sorts. Ideally, you have the liberty to act or say anything which your heart desires. Yet, where do you draw the line when your action affects another person's liberty? That person is also entitled to his or her liberty of not being disturbed in any unwarranted manner. And in respecting the other person's liberty, we tend to sacrifice our own wishes. So, is there really freedom? Or is it merely a seven letter word found under 'F' in the dictionary?


I've written longer than I planned and there are many more interesting values to be shared. Well, until my next entry on my values...cheers!